Focus Less on Sexual Orientation and More on Broken Foster Care System

If there was ever an example of why it’s so important to adequately fund foster care and mental illness programs, look no further than Starkeisha Brown and her girlfriend Krystal Matthews who are accused of abusing and torturing Brown’s 5-year-old son.

Brown and Matthews were each formally charged Tuesday with one count of torture and conspiracy, as well as other charges of child abuse, corporal injury to a child and dissuading a witness. They were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Compton, California, but the hearing was moved to June 25. Brown’s and Matthews’ bail were set at $1.1 million and $1.08 million, respectively. The two are expected to plead not guilty, and each faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

The abuse and torture suffered by the 5-year-old at the hands of his mother, her girlfriend, and the child’s babysitter is unfortunate. No child should ever have to live through what that young boy endured.

But let’s be real.What happened to that 5-year-old has nothing to do with the fact that the two women were Black lesbians, because it’s been well documented that lesbian and gay parents are no more predisposed to abuse their children than heterosexual parents.

What should be setting off red flags for everyone is the fact that both of the two women were at one time during their own childhood wards of the State of California.And somewhere down the line “the system” and their community failed them.

True story. After spending 4 years “in the system” in various group homes and foster homes, I showed up one day to the Edmund D. Edelman’s Children’s Court in Monterey Park, California where a judge declared me emancipated from the system.There was no fanfare, no cake and ice cream.More importantly, there was no check to make sure that I wasn’t sleeping on the streets that night or even the invitation to go into an independent living program.I was simply free to go and was no longer a burden on the taxpayers of the State of California.

Today I am 30, and will admit that I stumbled across many bumps in the road from that day in El Monte up until today.At the time of my emancipation, all of the ingredients were there for me to end up as a prostitute on Figueroa or a mother on welfare.I could have easily been Starkeisha or Krystal.Not because I am also a Black lesbian, but because at 17 years-old, I was not prepared to take care of myself, let alone a child and for some young women coming out of “the system,” the only guarantee of a monthly income is welfare.

Mental health issues do not conveniently disappear when foster youth are emancipated.Plainly stated, if they had issues while they were in “the system,” without treatment, those issues are going to follow them out of “the system.”

So often, minors in “the system” are simply being babysat until their 18th birthday.Sure there are group home and foster home placements that do make an effort to prepare foster youth for life outside of placement, but more often than not, when it’s time to go, most of us aren’t prepared for what waits beyond.At the end of the day, there are those of us that manage to make it and those that slip through the cracks.Such is the case with Starkeisha and Krystal.

I am not advocating that all foster youth end up in jail or on welfare, I am living proof that is not the case thanks to my grandparents.But what I am saying is that we cannot deny the number of Black youth in foster care or the number of those youth go from one system, the foster care system, to another system, the criminal justice system and welfare systems.

The foster care system must be adequately funded to provide these young men and women a fighting chance.A chance to not end up in yet another system, as another number, with another caseworker.It is clearly not enough to house, feed, and clothe these youth until their 18th birthday.If we don’t provide them with the skills necessary to make it in the real world, we are doing nothing more than setting them up for a lifetime of failure.Many of these youth are dealing with serious psychological issues that need to be treated beyond the date of their emancipation.

Starkeisha and Krystal didn’t come into this world hardened criminals.Somewhere along the line, their parents failed them.And maybe they didn’t have grandparents to take up the role of parent in their lives so they were thrust into a system that by law mandated that they provide the basics for them until their 18th birthday.It’s a tragic story that is repeated on every block in every neighborhood throughout urban communities.What makes this story all the more tragic is that now this 5-year-old boy is going to go into the same system his mother is a product of, thus continuing the cycle.

I don’t want to see inner city Black lesbian mothers stereotyped from this incident.Child abuse is child abuse, straight or gay. As a Black lesbian, I am no more prone to abuse my child than my heterosexual counterpart is.But I do want to see a community on fire regarding the state of our foster care system.I want to see a community rallying around this young boy to make sure that he is given a fighting chance in life and doesn’t end up like his mother.I want to see a community step forward to mentor and support the thousands of young Black men and women in our foster care system.And I want to see a community stand up against any further cuts in our foster care budget.That’s what should come out of this unfortunate set of circumstances, not the demonization of inner city Black lesbians.

Jasmyne A. Cannick

Jasmyne Cannick is a nationally known writer and commentator on political, race and social issues. She was selected as one of ESSENCE Magazine’s 25 Women Shaping the World, one of the Most Influential African-Americans in Los Angeles Under 40, one of Los Angeles’ Most Fascinating Angelenos by the L.A. Weekly and one of 40 People Under 40 by the Advocate. She’s worked in the U.S. House of Representatives and at all levels of government helping to shape public opinion and encourage civic engagement while advocating for underrepresented and marginalized communities in the political arena. Learn more here.

What do you think?

elg

Question: Did anyone say that inner city black lesbians are more prone to abuse their children than other groups?

I don’t care if someone grows up with no parents, (or grandparents), they know that child abuse that almost results in the death of a child is wrong.

How did R. Kelly grow up? Do you think he should get “counseling”? When a man commits a crime against a child, it’s lock his azz up and throw away the key. These women commit an arguably worse crime (because the child almost died) and it’s ‘ they have mental issues, they need counseling because they grew up in the foster care system, the community/system failed them ‘ blah, blah blah.

Those two characters KNEW what they were doing was wrong. That’s why they tried to hide it by NOT taking the boy to the interview with the authorities.

The only thing that matters now is that these two women be punished and the boy ends up in safe hands. If they get 25 years, which they probably won’t, good. They probably won’t get 25 years because the lives of children are not valued.

In all actuality, as founded by a study in Jackson, Mississippi, black lesbian couples in the South are over 50% more likely to have at least one child in their household and there has not been mass abuse of children by their black lesbian parents. So this story is an anomoly… one in a million chance… but still very sad.

You have made me very proud to be a subscriber. Many may argue with statistics against some of what you say, but you have come so far from your beginnings you should pat yourself on the back. You have become a winner by fighting.

PS Don’t you go telling nobody I was once a project dweller myself. Although I did hear this song “Don’t forget the ghetto”. I am rethinking my denial. It is who I am.

Kandiee

This story breaks my heart! Being that it’s my first time hearing of this story I am left in utter disbelief! I am also deeply saddened that after further research on this topic Jasmyne is one of the only journalists to fully explain the circumstances of the mother and her girlfriend. Now while I believe these women should be incarcerated for their neglectful/shameful/despicable actions I some what realize how it may have occurred. Please don’t misinterpret me I DO NOT AGREE with this type of abuse by NO means however, the life that these women come from does not quite reflect that of a happy, loving, nurturing family. Maybe no one ever loved them as children so they didn’t know how to love a child. These women were probably dealing with so many demons and hatred in their hearts! Unfortunately this poor child suffered for something that could have been prevented! I really pray that when he is older someone explains to him the circumstances of his mother’s reprehensible behavior and that he could be a better person for what he has overcome. I hope that people do not automatically assume that this behavior is typical of african american lesbian mothers and see that as Jasmyne declared, the real problem here TRULY IS the broken foster care system.

Risha

I agree with you Jas. I too grew up in the system and emancipated at 17. In reality NO the system does not truly prepare you for the real world as ugly as it is. It has been one of my dreams to one day start a non-profit mentoring program for foster youth with people like us. There are far too many that don’t know to hold their heads up even in the worse of circumstances. This is exactly why ALL foster youth need help and positive guidance. The question is what can we do about it? How can we help? When do we really start to make a difference rather than say how sad or disturbing a story is? WHEN?

What’s sad is that child will probably harbor and remember that for the rest of his life. Without proper love he will think that type of behavior is acceptable. He will think that is how love is shown. I pray he ends up in the right hands GODS HANDS.

smc

This story hit close to home in many ways. My Girlfriend and I are Foster Parents to 4 young children all brothers and sisters. The children are my girlfriend’s nieces and nephews. 2 girls and 2 boys. Sadly enough she, along with her siblings grew up and out of the California foster care system. It’s a vicious cycle that we collectively decided to break with the kids.
Reading that article and these posts encourages me to love them even harder.